Throughout the interview, Amy Gutmann spoke about the treatment of undocumented students and maintained University efforts to increase economic diversity, but refrained from entering any politically divisive territory.

The letter is direct: "We write as presidents of leading American colleges and universities to urge you to rectify or rescind the recent executive order closing our country’s borders to immigrants and others from seven majority-Muslim countries and to refugees from throughout the world," it reads.

Nearly every Penn student knows now how former Vice President Joe Biden plans to "set up shop" at Penn now that his term is completed, but the Delaware native has long had a close relationship with the University.